Most leaders across highways, civils, and elsewhere in UK infrastructure would be open to digitising and ‘future-proofing’ their field operations
Setting up your business to thrive in the long term by embracing new technology seems more or less the definition of a ‘no brainer’.
But in life and industry, reality is never that simple. And there’s a right way and a wrong way of going about the process that has a massive impact on the success or failure of the outcome.
Why digital transformation can be difficult…
A realistic starting point in any conversation about software in highways, civils, and other infrastructure companies is to reaffirm the many challenges that define daily life in each industry.
Without meeting these needs, the solution will seem lacking – it won’t tick all the boxes you need:
- Maintaining financial, administrative, and other types of compliance
- Taking ultimate responsibility for geographically spread out, complicated, and dangerous operations
- Keeping teams safe while they work
- Keeping on top of shifting industry regulations
- Adapting to a geopolitical reality that affects everything from material costs to recruitment
- Steering the whole company while being responsible for hard-working, independently thinking human beings that can also be very much set in their ways…and resistant to change
…and why digital transformation is essential
Maybe your business is already operating well, without even a sense that there could be a more efficient and cost-effective way of working.
But whether that’s the case or not, with initiatives like BIM, AI, the Internet of Things, ISOs, PASs, the future of our industries will be built on data. Collecting it, managing it, and interpreting it.
Many businesses are already excelling and benefitting from:
- KPIs and data insights for better decision making
- Efficiency and productivity boosts
- Other returns on investment driving them to become more profitable and competitive
The question then becomes “how do you do a digital transformation that works?” And how do you incorporate a digital system to make it fit your specific operations?
How to overcome barriers to digital transformation
Based on feedback from businesses, concerns about digital transformation can be divided into four areas:
- Uncertainty of outcomes
- Disruption to operations
- Fear of migration
- The learning curve
How to overcome digital transformation barriers
For a successful digital transformation:
- Choose a company with experience in managing the process, and whose software with flexibility to adapt to your way of working.
- Avoid companies that lack sufficient support.
A well-constructed onboarding process can tackle the concerns listed in the previous section while turning potential obstacles into stepping stones for a smooth, confident transition.
1.Tackling uncertainty of outcomes
You work closely with the software provider’s support teams to map the process before starting.
Your software provider will guide you in close collaboration with your company leads. Early discussions with a dedicated project manager should set out a clear journey and realistic timelines. These sessions define who will be involved, what resources are required, and what milestones to expect. By breaking the process into manageable stages and showing examples from other industry clients, you’ll be able to picture the end result and track progress along the way.
2.Minimising disruption to operations
A digital transformation is most successful when it builds around your existing workflow. Rather than brute-force change, as you work closely with the software provider, you’ll deliver on your plans while also discovering surprise opportunities for streamlining processes.
For example, digital forms can reduce duplication and build efficiencies through automations and easy-to-use drop-down menus. Each time this is done, small inefficiencies are removed from the workflow, which add up to a transformative impact. Bottlenecks are removed, compliance is improved, and productivity becomes as good as it can be.
3.Reducing fear of migration
A strong software provider will transfer your data safely and efficiently, ensuring nothing is lost in the move. Next, project managers will guide you through mapping old processes to the new system, and the software will be incorporated in specific areas (e.g. near-miss reporting), providing a useful proof of concept, building confidence across your team before full adoption.
4.Overcoming the learning curve
Software is only beneficial if your team actually use it. Strong field management software is therefore designed to be intuitive and easy-to-use for everyone – including the most tech-resistant admin and operatives, no matter what generation they’re from. For more complex dashboard functions, your software provider should establish staged training and internal ‘champion’ programmes. This ensures your key staff can guide their teams day-to-day, maintaining momentum.
Case study: Glanville Environmental and Re-flow Field Management
“After the demo we knew right away Re-flow ticked all the boxes… We’ve now made significant savings using the software and increased our tender success rate.”
– James Goodman, contracts director
With a team of over 200 spread across 6 depots, Glanville’s management decided that they needed to reassess their field operations approach.
They wanted their digital field management solution to bring their processes into one piece of software while also being so intuitive that it would win over sceptics in the business.
They chose Re-flow Field Management, who followed the steps above. And since using Re-flow, they’ve seen improvements across the board:
- 50% increase in time saved
- 60% increase in communication
- 70% increase in HSE reporting
- 30% increase in auditability
If you’re considering a digital transformation and want to avoid and understand the common barriers to a successful project, download Re-flow’s digital implementation checklist.
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